Nite Lite at the Shoebox Gallery

My studiomates and I have come together to work on our upcoming project, Nite Lite. For Nite Lite we will be transforming the Shoebox Gallery into a giant Lite Brite display!
Images of our work in progress can be found on our studio’s blog.

An opening reception will take place on Saturday, November 8th from 5-7pm and will include an open studio and party afterwards.

Nite Lite runs from Saturday Nov 8, 2008-Saturday Jan 3, 2009.

The Shoebox Gallery is a display window in the Roberts Shoe Store just to the right of 2948 Chicago Avenue S, Mpls, MN
As winter intensifies, the days grow short and darkness plays a greater role in our daily lives. Religious and cultural celebrations such as Winter Solstice, Christmas, Hanukkah, the Japanese Amatersu celebration and the Scandinavian Beiwe festival use human-created lights as ritual during this season. These manifestations of light are shared across age groups just as they are shared cross-culturally. Focusing on the magic these traditions hold for children, we have created our own illumination for this season. The project emulates the Hasbro© Lite Brite — a once common holiday gift of our generation. In many ways this toy was our first introduction to a canvas, its black surface tilted up towards us to be decorated with glowing plastic pegs. By magnifying this simple toy’s scale, the Shoebox Gallery is transformed into a playful celebration of light in these dark days of winter. Camphor Studios is: Helen Franzen, Julia Kouneski, Lindsay Noble, Tonja Torgerson and Patrick Vincent.

More information can be found at:
http://mnartists.org/event.do?rid=209483

Sticker Mania!

I have been working hard on stickers for Prints Gone Wild, a print fair hosted by Cannonball Press. I will not be making the trip to NYC, rather Jenny Schmid of Bikini Press International has offered to sell them as a part of her booth.

Most screenprinting has moved to a standard of less toxic, acrylic-based inks. Vinyl stickers require more noxious inks and call for some special head gear:
With the change in seasons, I thought it only appropriate to dress my ThinkGirl stickers accordingly.These stickers will be for sale at Prints Gone Wild at Supreme Trading in Brooklyn on November 1st & 2nd, just look for Bikini Press International‘s table. You can also contact me for purchasing information.

Minnesota National Print Catalog

The Katherine E Nash Gallery published a beautiful catalog in unison with the Minnesota National Print Biennial, and I thought I would share a few images of it.I have to say that I love the cover, especially the transparency and how the imagery of a printmaking studio has been incorporated into the design. It is very thoughtful and elegant.
The preface of the book includes two interviews, including an interview I conducted with Kristen Martincic. This was a wonderful opportunity and a great learning experience which I feel fortunate to have been offered.
The catalog includes my artist statement and an image of I am Fine which has since been purchased by the Weisman Art Museum.
Finally I wanted to show an image from Drew Peterson, who was also included in the catalog and conducted the other interview at the beginning of the catalog. I went to school with Drew and its been interesting to see how our styles have evolved over the years while often working in the same medium.

The catalog can be found online in the form of a pdf, made available by Katherine E Nash Gallery.
Find it here.

I am Fine purchased by the Weisman Art Museum!

Tonight was the opening of the Sixth National Minnesota Print Biennial. I am very proud to say that at the opening it was announced the my screenprint, I am Fine was given a purchase award from the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum (pending approval of its acquisitions committee, of course). I am thrilled at the chance to have one of my prints in the permanent collection of a museum!A fabulous little catalog of the exhibition was also produced. In addition to the an image of I am Fine, an interview I conducted with Kristen Martincic (also in the Biennial) was included at the beginning of the catalog.

All and all it was a lovely night!

The exhibition is at the Katherine E Nash Gallery and runs through November 6th. If you did not have a chance to make it to the opening, I would really suggest checking it out. All the work in the exhibition is really strong, and combined it makes for a very dynamic show. Do check it out.

The Sixth Minnesota National Print Biennial

The Sixth Minnesota National Print Biennial starts tomorrow (October 7th) at the Katherine E Nash Gallery, University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, MN.

The Opening Reception will be on Friday, October 10th from 6-8:30 pm and will include an award ceremony at 7:00 with purchases by the Walker Art Center, The Minnesota Museum of American Art and The Weisman Art Museum, among others.

I will have two works in the exhibition, including my self-portrait I am Fine (below), which is currently being featured on the Nash Gallery’s website.I am Fine is also included in the catalog that was been produced featuring a select amount of images from the exhibition. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to interview another artist in the exhibition, and this interview has also been incorporated into the catalog. I have not had a chance to see the catalog yet, but it should be available at the Opening.

Here is some more information:

The Sixth Minnesota National Print Biennial
The Katherine E Nash Gallery
University of Minnesota
Regis Center for Art
405 21st Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Exhibition length: October 7th to November 6th
Opening reception and award ceremony:
Friday October 10th, 6:30-8 pm

And as always, both of my artworks included in this exhibition can be found on my website.

Fall 2008 Summary Update

Since May 2008, I have finished 3 new works of art, all of which can be found on my website. One of these new works, titled Nature/Nurture, is currently on exhibition at the Uppercase Gallery in Canada. Uppercase Gallery has published a book of the exhibition containing much of the artwork from the exhibition, including my print.

If you are interested in the book, you can find more information about it here. More information about the exhibition is below:

Old School
UPPERCASE Gallery
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Exhibition runs until September 30th, 2008.

In other news, two of my prints will be included in The Sixth Minnesota National Print Biennial at the Katherine E. Nash Gallery. The exhibition runs from October 7, 2008 to November 6, 2008. A catalog with selected images from the exhibition is also being produced, and one of my prints has been selected for the catalog as well. More information below:

The Sixth Minnesota National Print Biennial
Katherine E Nash Gallery
Regis Center for Arts
Minneapolis, MN
Exhibition Runs: Oct. 7th – Nov 6th, 2008
Opening Reception:
October 10th; 6 – 8:30 pm


NY Street Art

New York was covered with graffiti, especially in the East Village and Alphabet City, where we stomped around the most. Here’s a picture of my favorite piece I saw in while in the city.
I love its simplicity. I saw several of these style keys as we walked around, but I like the placement of this one. And the best part? It was on the corner where we were staying.

New York, New York

New York was brilliant. Above is a view from the roof of the apartment where we stayed in the East Village. (Click on it for a better look- its a 180 degree view that starts from the south).
We had lovely weather and used the few days that it rained to visit museums, including the Met, Guggenheim and MoMA.


This trip also allowed me to say good-bye to my dear friend and filmmaker Michael Forstein, who has just relocated to NYC for good. I will miss never running into him on the street anymore.
And finally, I sometime in Brooklyn, which I really enjoyed and wish I had more time to see. Click on the images for a much larger view!


Finished- Loss

Loss, the second in the ill series, is now complete.(The letters spell out ‘s-w-i-s-s c-h-e-e-s-e m-e’. It is a bit hard to read in such a small image, the actual drawing is over 5 feet tall.)

I still have a few tiny tweaks, but I will be done before I go to NYC. Expect better lit photographs and a new gallery of the series on my website when I return. Here’s a detail: